Mother Struggles To Ensure Her 7-Month-Old Baby's Safety In Household With Troublesome Dog

"I feel like they are choosing a dog over my child."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• October 20, 2023

When a baby and a big, possibly unfriendly dog, share a common space, we need to think about the problems that can come up. We have to be careful about keeping the baby safe while also thinking about what the dog's owners want. It's important to plan things out well and make thoughtful decisions.

OP's nephew, now 20 years old, adopted a dog from a shelter in 2016. Both OP's sister (his mother) and the nephew left the dog at OP's parent's house, where it has been cared for since.

The sister doesn't want the dog at her own home, even though the nephew lives with her. Recently, OP had a baby who is now 7 months old, and their mother babysits the baby while OP is at work.

However, the dog's behavior has become problematic. It has attempted to bite OP, jumps on them upon entering the house, poses a risk to OP and the baby, creates a mess with fur and dirt, disrupts the baby's sleep with loud barking, and is primarily cared for by their elderly, partially blind mother. OP's father, who lives with their mother, also doesn't want the dog.

Despite this, OP's mother insists on keeping the dog. OP is wondering if they are in the wrong for stating that they won't visit their mother's house anymore if the dog isn't removed, as they feel their family is prioritizing the dog over their child.

OP's nephew adopted a dog in 2016, but he and left the dog with OP's parents. Meanwhile, OP's mother babysits OP's 7-month-old baby while she is at work.

The dog's aggression disrupts OP's visits with her baby and demands a lot of care. Consequently, OP is thinking about not visiting her mom if the dog remains.

OP prioritizes free childcare over her mom's happiness.

If OP doesn't want the baby near the dog, she needs to consider finding alternative childcare.

Using her child as leverage to remove the dog is not acceptable.

OP can't insist that her mother get rid of her dog, and it seems like the dog is the only one not taking advantage of her.

It's not OP's place to interfere, and giving her an ultimatum is not fair

The problem lies with OP, not with the choice the person is making.

Prioritizing free babysitting over her mom's well-being is unfair.

It's not fair to ask them to get rid of the dog for OP's childcare needs.

It's not fair to expect her to be a free babysitter when she wants to take care of her dog too.

She's doing OP a favor by babysitting, so OP can't dictate what she does with her pet.

It's essential to recognize that the dog belongs to the mother, and she has the right to decide its fate. Trying OP to force her to give up her pet when she's helping with babysitting isn't fair.

If OP is concerned about her baby's safety, it's her responsibility to find an alternative solution rather than infringing on her mother's choices.

Damjan